HB 5080 establishes West Virginia's first state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program. It provides eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave annually for personal medical needs, caring for a newborn or newly adopted child, or addressing a family member's serious health condition, funded through payroll contributions from employees and employers. The program covers workers meeting income eligibility requirements (including self-employed individuals who opt in), with benefits calculated based on prior earnings. Key provisions include anti-retaliation protections for employees using leave, employer notice requirements, and administration by the Insurance Commissioner through a dedicated state fund.
HB 5031 requires West Virginia's Fatality and Mortality Review Team (under the Department of Health) to have access to vaccination records during death investigations. The bill amends state law to explicitly include vaccination records as a type of medical information the team may request from government agencies. State, county, and local agencies must provide these records upon written request. This change directly affects the review team's ability to gather data for forensic and public health research, while requiring health and government agencies to share vaccination history in death cases. The bill standardizes reporting practices by adding vaccination records to the types of information investigators can access.
HB 5581 (Dawson’s Law) adds infantile GM1 gangliosidosis - a rare genetic disorder affecting infants - to the list of conditions required for newborn screening in West Virginia. The bill mandates hospitals to test all newborns for this condition, alongside existing screenings for diseases like phenylketonuria and cystic fibrosis. These screenings will be covered as a standard benefit by Medicaid, state insurance programs, and private insurers offering pregnancy coverage. The law directly affects all newborns in West Virginia by expanding early detection for this specific condition.
This bill, HB 5314, provides an additional $330,000 in funding to the Department of Health's Vital Statistics Account (fund 5144) for fiscal year 2026. It increases an existing appropriation for "Personal Services and Employee Benefits" within that account to cover ongoing operational costs. The funding comes from unappropriated balances available in the account and directly supports the Vital Statistics office, which manages birth, death, and fetal death records in West Virginia. This is a routine budget adjustment, not a new policy change.
HB 5324 changes the time limit for filing lawsuits related to asbestos or silica exposure in West Virginia. It sets the start date for lawsuits as the earlier of: when a person receives a medical diagnosis, discovers the exposure, or dies (if exposed). The bill also separates non-cancer cases (like lung disease) from cancer cases and prohibits claims for fear of future illness. Additionally, it limits lawsuits against coal mining equipment manufacturers to within 10 or 12 years from the equipment's first sale, depending on circumstances.
HB 5349 requires West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) and other health insurers to provide mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder coverage that is equally comprehensive as coverage for physical health conditions. It mandates specific protections, including annual screenings for depression and substance use, fair access to providers (like coverage for non-participating providers when needed), and clear denial notices explaining parity rights. The bill directly affects public employees covered by PEIA and all health insurance providers operating in West Virginia under state regulations. It also requires annual reporting on compliance and sets an effective date of June 1, 2026.
HB 5430 regulates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), directly affecting state employees covered by PEIA, PBMs, and pharmacies providing services to them. The bill requires PBMs to submit detailed quarterly reports on claim payments, including costs charged to PEIA versus amounts paid to pharmacies, and prohibits certain PBM contracts that limit transparency. It also mandates PBMs to implement a cost containment tool and requires a study on pharmacy pricing. The law aims to increase transparency in pharmacy billing and control costs for state health insurance programs.
HB 5563 requires licensed healthcare providers in West Virginia to refer patients meeting organ transplant criteria to a transplant center within three calendar days of documenting that need in the medical record. It exempts referrals only when a specific medical contraindication is documented. The Department of Health must collect and report annual data on referral timelines, including average wait times, compliance rates, and rural disparities. This law directly affects hospitals, transplant centers, and patients awaiting organ transplants by standardizing referral processes. The bill does not alter federal organ allocation policies or clinical eligibility standards.
HB 5185 requires most health insurance plans in West Virginia to cover contraceptive drugs, devices, and related services without cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for enrollees. It mandates coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptives (including therapeutic equivalents), up to a 12-month supply at once, and includes sterilization procedures, counseling, and follow-up care. The law applies to plans renewed or delivered on or after January 1, 2027, and does not affect coverage for contraceptives prescribed for non-contraceptive medical reasons (e.g., treating ovarian cancer). This bill directly affects health insurance plans and their enrollees, excluding dependent children from the definition of "covered person."
SB 819 redirects $4,906,630 from an unappropriated surplus balance in West Virginia's General Revenue Fund to William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital (fund 0413) for fiscal year 2026. The bill supplements the hospital's existing appropriation by adding a new line item for "Current Expenses - Surplus" to cover operational costs. This procedural budget adjustment directly affects the hospital's funding for the 2026 fiscal year without changing health care policies or creating new obligations. The funds were identified in the Governor's Executive Budget Document as available surplus.
